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Month: September 2015

Scott Heinrichs calls his organization the “Flying Fox Conservation Fund” (FFCF) but is it really conservation? Would a true bat conservationist keep bats in his basement, breed them, pull youngsters off of their mothers and sell them as pets?

Unfortunately, this appears to be the real story behind the Flying Fox Conservation Fund. And what Scot Heinrichs, owner of “Flying Fox Conservation Fund, likely doesn’t tell you is that Egyptian fruit bats bond for life; families stay together for life in the wild. Imagine having your 6 year old ripped from your arms and sold to a stranger, never to be seen again – that is the equivalent of what happens when bat pups are pulled off of their mothers and sold for an average of $800 to $2,500 each. Plus, the buyer is likely not told that the “pet bat” they just bought WILL IN ALL LIKELIHOOD BE DEAD WITHIN A YEAR.

One of the unfortunate babies that FFCF ripped away from its mother to be sold as a pet. Click to enlarge

When you look at the Flying Fox Conservation Fund Google page you see that it’s located in Chicago in a home, a “two-flat” home, not a spacious facility where bats are allowed freedom to fly and enjoy quality of life. Is this what you would expect from an organization that calls itself a “conservation fund”? Not only that, according to their very own “Flying Fox Conservation Fund” website, they share this “two-flat” space with all of these animals: “Sloth, Fennec Fox, Armadillo, Kinkajou, Civet, Fruit Bat, Chinchilla, Ferret, Bearded Dragon, Crested Gecko, Boa Constrictor, Tree Frog, Pancake Tortoise, Tarantula, Hissing Roaches, Walking Sticks, Solomon Island Parrot, Lion Head Rabbit”

Lastly, this Flying Fox Conservation Fund photo speaks volumes. This poor, heavily pregnant fruit bat is being held up by her delicate wings by Scott Heinrichs. If this doesn’t scream total disrespect for an animal the Flying Fox Conservation Fund touts to “conserve” then what does?

Scott Heinrichs holds a pregnant bat up by her delicate wings

The “Flying Fox Conservation Fund” is no better than the “Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center” in taking the highest dollar possible for bats at the unsuspecting buyers expense- money wasted on an exotic pet that is doomed to die.

“…Our primary focus is on the long-term physical, mental and emotional care of captive wildlife populations. …So when we sat down to write our “Mission Statement” we looked at hundreds of examples from our larger, albeit more powerful, brethren and realized one very moving thing, WE PUT THE ANIMALS FIRST …We strive to develop ways to apply findings, no matter how minute, to the captive wildlife species in our care in an effort to develop advanced husbandry protocols for the betterment of captive held wildlife.”

So why then, is the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center selling Egyptian fruit bats into the cruel, exotic pet trade, knowing that these animal are doomed to a miserable short existence in tiny cages. Notice the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center is selling pregnant bats, who will likely abort or abandon their pup because of the horrific life they have been sold in to?

This is one of the ads the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center has placed on the internet.Notice the complete lack of enrichment and lack of a sufficient place to hide in this sad photo of the bats. What happened to “…our primary focus is on the long-term physical, mental and emotional care of captive wildlife populations.” ???

Of course, the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center’s ad does not contain the information that the high price paid for these bats will be wasted when the bats die, likely within the very first year.

The Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center is no better than the “Flying Fox Conservation Fund” in taking the highest dollar possible for bats at the unsuspecting buyers expense.

“… offer enrichment, safety, and comfort to our animals. …Demonstrate the importance of preservation and conservation …and respect for the world around us.”

So why then, is the Noah’s Landing Zoo selling baby fruit bats into the cruel, exotic pet trade, knowing that these animal are doomed to a miserable existence and certain death? Could it be that the almighty dollar was more important than the lives of these innocent animals?

This is one of the ads the Noah’s Landing Zoo has placed on the internet. What happened to “… offer enrichment, safety, and comfort to our animals. …Demonstrate the importance of preservation and conservation …and respect for the world around us.” ???

Noahs Landing Zoo sells baby bats into the cruel exotic pet trade

Of course, Noah’s Landing Zoo‘s ad does not contain the fact that the high price paid for these bats was wasted when the bats died, likely within the very first year.

The site “Exotic Animals for Sale” is illegally using copyrighted photos to lure people to purchase a bat from the cruel exotic pet trade. They don’t include the likely fact that bats don’t survive when kept as pets.

Their ad states: “Bats for sale… Why just look at bats when you can own a bat as a pet”

ExoticAnimalsforSale is using copyrighted photos to lure people to purchase bats as pets

BUYER BEWARE!Nowhere in the ad does it tell you that bats typically die within the first year of attempting to keep one as a pet, and the $800 to $2,500 a buyer spent on a “pet bat” is money wasted.

Through our ever-popular, live performances, we have shared our knowledge, respect and appreciation for the animals that share our planet. Educating the public and promoting conservation are just a couple of the many ways we show our commitment to the animal kingdom. When local animal control officers are confronted with a dangerous exotic, we’re sent in to rescue the often illegally obtained “pet.” Our fully licensed “Haven” program also accepts most exotic animals (including venomous snakes) from private citizens. We are dedicated to helping those who have discovered that owning this type of “pet” is unfair to the animal, potentially dangerous and far more difficult than they imagined.

Why then, did they sell this poor bat into the “unfair” and cruel exotic pet trade? It is common knowledge that bats rarely survive more than a year when kept as a pet.

This is an animal rarely offered for sale…..a 2 1/2 year old, captive bred, female, giant straw colored fruit bat. We acquired two of these magnificent bats last year (they are sisters) and really only needed one. This one (Stella) is extremely friendly.

It appears that Mark Rosenthal of Animal Magic does not practice what he preaches. And what Mark Rosenthal likely did not disclose to the buyer is that bats bond for life, families stay together for life in the wild (imagine having your 6 year old ripped from your arms and sold to a stranger, never to be seen again). That is the equivalent of what happens when bat pups are pulled off of their mothers and sold for an average of $800 to $2,500 each. Plus, the buyer was likely not told that the “pet bat” they just bought WILL IN ALL LIKELIHOOD BE DEAD WITHIN A YEAR.

Lastly, the Animal Magic site hides behind this false statement:“We are often asked about our position on the private ownership of exotic animals. Although they are beautiful and fascinating, many exotics do not make good pets. But that does not mean we discourage ownership of all exotics! Some can be outstanding assets for teaching children about responsibility, zoology and conservation (Examples are bearded dragons, skinks, tarantulas, corn snakes, etc.). Additionally, some are wonderful pets that can live happy, long lives. How do you distinguish a mistake from a good choice? Before you buy an exotic, ask yourself … Is it fair to the animal?… “